Sunday, November 23, 2008

Struggling to get organized

OK, I admit it. I am WICKED organized. In each class I teach, I give daily handouts arranged in chart form, detailing exactly what we're going to cover and in what order. The clothing in my closet is arranged by color, season, and sleeve length. My books sit neatly on the shelf, grouped by subject and height of spine.

But I'm feeling very disorganized in the studio lately. Paintings aren't as easy to categorize as coats or books. I have them grouped generally in my mind into various series (as you can tell from the gallery page of my website), but I have MANY more pieces than are pictured on the website, and these don't necessarily fit into any particular series.

This wouldn't be a problem at all, but I am facing 2009 with the goal of getting my work out into the world. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I had two months this summer with time to JUST paint, and immediately afterward I jumped into such a heavy autumn teaching schedule that I've barely taken a breath since Labor Day. This means I have a ton of new artwork that I haven't had time to consider yet, and now that I am considering it, I'm feeling overwhelmed!

Getting artwork out into the world means creating organized proposals and presentation packets to send to possible exhibition spaces, galleries and consultants, and I am finding this hard to do with the avalanche of new works sitting in wait in my studio.

I guess the best solution for me is not to rush into things, but "live with" and look at the work for a while. Take some time to carefully investigate the list of places I want to make contact with, and see what kinds of opportunities raise their heads in the spring of 2009 (when there are often floods of calls for entry, etc.).

I have three shows coming up in the next three months, luckily all of which involve curators, so I don't have to make any curatorial decisions about which pieces to show by myself.

But now that a few of my classes have ended for the semester and the rest are winding down, I am excited about turning my attention from my students' artwork to my own art career, and focusing on getting my work OUT THERE.

The two pieces at the top of this blog highlight two directions I've taken in the recent past -- the elegant side of my line-making, and the messier side. I love both, and both are different sides of me.

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ABOUT THE ARTIST

Catherine Carter is an artist whose canvases focus on line and its connection to natural forms and calligraphic marks. Her paintings are held in public and corporate collections including the Boston Public Library, Berkshire Partners, and Massasoit Community College, and have been on display at the United States Embassies in Oman and Cameroon as part of the Art In Embassies Program. The recipient of a grant from the St. Botolph Club Fountain, she currently maintains her studio in New Bedford, Massachusetts.